HABAKI MATERIAL.

[Alex A]

I was wondering if someone would tell me what they think this habaki is made of, ive been told it may be hakudo (white bronze). I was hoping it may be silver, but thinking like that usually ends in dissapointment :lol:.

[Geraint]

Hi Alex.

 

It is not uncommon for habaki to be made of silver, given the skilled work required to make one the cost of the material pales into insignificance. Silver has the advantage of being a very nice material to work with.

 

All the best.

[Alex A]

Cheers Geraint, nothing was mentioned in the listing when i bought the sword which does seem a bit strange if it is silver. The sword was in shirasaya originally so it kind of went a bit unnoticed for a while.

 

Alex.

[cabowen]

I would bet it is silver. Until rather recently, the price of silver was not such a large percentage of the cost when compared to the labor involved. It has jumped greatly and is now causing the cost of silver habaki to increase. Solid silver is quite common in modern habaki and is probably the most often used material.

[Grey Doffin]

Solid silver habaki cost less than silver foil habaki; the value is in the labor. Your habaki is silver.

Grey

[Alex A]

Cheers Chris, may be nice to have silver seppa too :D, not this year though.

 

Cheers Grey, good news, ps, tsuba looks great on the sword, cheers.

 

 

Alex.

[cabowen]

In the last 20 years silver has gone from $5 an oz to close to $50 an oz. To make a large habaki, you need several ounces of silver, so the material cost has gone from maybe 10% of the cost ($15 or $20) to 50% ($200).....In other words, I was paying around $200 for silver habaki, now I am paying $400.

[nagamaki - Franco]

another vote for silver habaki http://www.kitco.com/market/

[Bugyotsuji]

Solid silver I agree, but what is the copper washiness inside?

[runagmc]

I would guess oxidation from annealing and soldering...

When the pros make solid silver or gold habaki, I assume they are alloyed with copper or other metals for strength. I wonder what the common alloy ratio they use would be?... maybe something like .925 silver, and 14k or 18k gold?

[Lorenzo]

no alloys, just pure silver.

[runagmc]

Hi Lorenzo, I know pure gold habaki are rarely done, but do you think they would be alloyed?... I would think 24k gold might be too soft...

[cabowen]

I would guess oxidation from annealing and soldering...

When the pros make solid silver or gold habaki, I assume they are alloyed with copper or other metals for strength. I wonder what the common alloy ratio they use would be?... maybe something like .925 silver, and 14k or 18k gold?

 

 

I knew a gentleman who made habaki from US silver dollars (the older ones that are real silver). They aren't pure silver and are indeed an alloy.

[Alex A]

Im presuming modern habaki are made from sterling silver, 7.5%copper is added.

 

Alex.

[Lorenzo]

Solid silver is traditional, Habaki made from US dollars aren't. Wathever. You can make it in whatever material you like, but traditional is solid silver. Silver fittings usually are (almost) pure silver.

And by the way who fit a solid gold or solid silver habaki on a sword shouldn't worry about the mechanical propreties of the habaki.

[Alex A]

Pure solid silver and gold sound good to me :D. Pure silver was more readily available in old times (im sure someone will say it wasnt pure, even then), the samurai where paid in silver bar (ichi bu jin), i have a few here. These days everything seems to be 925 silver, copper added for strength, not sure what they add to gold these days.

 

Alex.